New Farming tech at Haselbury
On Monday, 19 March 1860, Henry Parsons proudly demonstrated his new Fowler steam plough on his Haselbury farm. His invited audience of country gentlemen was amazed at how easily the plough shares sliced through the heavy clay soil.[1] The engine stood on the headland, broadside to its work, its operator reading dials and shovelling coal […]
Carvings on an old farmhouse
On Thursday, 19 June 1913, the Yeovil “Come and Welcome” Lodge of the International Order of Good Templars held their annual picnic at Hardington Rectory. After tea, the Rev Cleife took them on a guided tour of the church and village and showed them the carvings on an old farmhouse.[1] The old farmhouse in question […]
A Vanished Road
On 26 March 1923, the Rural District Council discussed a footpath on the East Coker and Hardington boundary. The footpath served as a shortcut from the Hardington road to Lyatts Farm, and the East Coker Parish Council had received a complaint that the path was impassable because the landowner on the Hardington side had failed […]
Railway Prizes
Railway Prizes In December 1948, Hardington Railway Gang No. 7/11 won first prize in a track maintenance competition, a prestigious event designed to reward hard work and dedication. The gang was responsible for the section between Sutton Bingham and Crewkerne stations. The gang consisted of Mr A. Brown of Misterton (in charge), Mr J. Berry […]
Smiths, Smiths and Automobiles
Introduction This article is a micro-study of migration, focusing on the lives of Arthur and Kate Smith, a married couple who lived at West Coker and Hardington in the early twentieth century. Arthur’s childhood Arthur was born in Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham, on 2 April 1880.[1] His father, Thomas Smith, the son of a […]
Bonnie Babies, John Mills and Tony Hancock
Yeovil Bonny Baby competition On Saturday, 19 July 1924, the Yeovil Liberal Association held a fete in the grounds of Inglemount, West Coker Road, the residence of Alderman Wreford John Charles Pittard.[1] Scheduled to run from four to ten, it included a host of fun attractions, including the Yeovil Cadet Band, maypole and country dances, […]
Prudence Purchase, war widow
On 16 August 1917, thirty-six-year-old Private Henry George Purchase, a member of the Lewis Gun Section of the 7th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, lost his life while on active duty in Belgium.[1] His wife, Prudence Ann Purchase, was left to raise their two young children, Prudence Doris and Albert George, alone at 324 […]
George Cheverton, the reckless publican
Introduction George Cheverton was a rogue and chancer who was often in court on charges of not paying his debts, drunkenness, or brawling. These incidents undoubtedly cast a shadow on his reputation. However, he managed to hold the position of landlord at various inns, including the Swan Inn, Misterton, from 1858 to 1869, the Quicksilver […]
Joseph Cole, Farrier to the Ninth Lancers
Early years Joseph Cole was born at Odcombe in about 1818.[1] His father, Samuel, had left Odcombe as a young man to work as a sawyer in Dorset.[2] While there, he met and married Elizabeth Minterne of Owermoigne.[3] They married at Bere Regis in 1814 and had their first child while living at Tolpuddle.[4] They […]
A White wedding
On Easter Monday, 28 March 1932, Muriel White, the daughter of Susan and the late Walter White, married Percival George Abbott at Hardington Church.[1] The wedding was a grand affair, with a full choral service, four bridesmaids, and a congregation that filled the church. The celebrations continued at the Royal Oak, courtesy of the bride’s […]